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MWC: Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 hands-on review

Samsung's latest tablet ticks a lot of boxes, but is a bit boring to boot

BARCELONA: Samsung disappointed everyone by failing to launch a new flagship smartphone at Mobile World Congress (MWC) on Sunday. Instead it gave us an update to its tablet portfolio with the premium Android tablet, the Galaxy Tab S3.

The Galaxy Tab S3 is the successor to last year's Galaxy Tab S2. We got some hands-on time with the Galaxy Tab S3 at the company's stand and here are our first thoughts.

Design and build

Our initial reaction was shock when we picked up the Galaxy Tab S3. "Wow, they're still making these?" followed immediately by a second, perhaps more important question: "People are still buying them?". Nevertheless, the device looks pretty smart for an Android tablet.

It's super thin and rather professional looking thanks to its neat matt black design on the back. Build quality seems reasonable, and it feels comfortable to hold in one hand even due to its light weight. However, you'll probably want to put it in a case given its all-glass design.

As far as tablets go, the Galaxy Tab S3 is pretty standard looking, so we can't say much more than that.

Display

Samsung's latest tablet packs a 9.7in 2048x1536 Super AMOLED display that supports both 4K and HDR playback. As a result, we enjoyed prodding and poking at its high-quality rectangular face for a few minutes during our intimate hands-on experience.

Video playback looks incredibly vibrant and detailed, and we can imagine the tablet will come in handy on a long haul flight, especially if you're too cheap to choose an airline with a decent in-flight entertainment system.

The Galaxy Tab S3 also comes bundled with an S Pen stylus. This meant that certain applications, such as S Note, are more enjoyable and precise to navigate than when you use your clumsy index finger.

Processor and operating system

The Galaxy Tab S3 has plenty going for it in terms of internal specs. It's high-res screen is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, Vulkan API graphics and 4GB RAM, and the tablet offers 32GB built-in storage, expandable by an additional 256GB via the onboard microSD slot.

We found the device to be a very fast machine indeed. It opened applications almost instantly and in general dealt with any task we threw at it, hassle free. With specs like that, though, are you at all surprised?

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 runs Nougat and ships Samsung's S Pen included, which means you'll be able to doodle and note make on its display. It also sets its sights on Apple's iPad Pro with a keyboard dock connector, with Samsung set to offer optional add-ons.

However, be warned that the operating system has been heavily customised and Samsung has overlaid it with its UX interface.

We didn't get a chance to battery burn the unit, but a spokesman - of course - told us the device should last "longer than most tablets" on one charge. However long that is, we will forever ponder.

First impressions

Overall, our first impressions of the Samsung Galaxy Tab S3 were positive. Featuring an impressive list of specs and a host of productivity and security applications and powerful processor, the device has the potential to be a popular Android power user tablet this year. However, those looking for something remotely different to your bog standard tablet will be sorely disappointed.

The Galaxy Tab S3 will be available to preorder in WiFi-only and LTE models from 17 March, before it arrives on shelves on the 31st.

But with Samsung remaining cagey on one key detail - the Galaxy Tab S3's price - we're going to have to reserve judgment until this is announced. A listing at John Lewis suggests the WiFi-only model will fetch £600, so if that's true, it's likely to work against it.